


All my love

by KoibitoDream



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crushes, Friendship/Love, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, Undecided Relationship(s), Unrequited Love, Writing Exercise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-11-29 22:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11450448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoibitoDream/pseuds/KoibitoDream
Summary: Sometimes, it's not that simple.





	1. What a predicament this is

He was going mad. At least he thought he was. How else could he explain it?

The fact that he couldn’t get a man seven years younger than himself out of his head. Who was incidentally his protégé. Well, not quite. He had been put there by the boys’ father to make sure he was out of harms way. He had known the runt since he was about ten years old, give or take a few months. Seen him grow up, go through his grumpy stage in which he sort of remained. Seen him get into various types of mess and get out of them, be it with his help, on his own or with that curly haired troublemaker.

_Oh, yes, he remembers it, quite well._

_He had been a little shit. Puberty, some would call it. Adrenaline. Hormones. Whatever it was, Tsukishima wouldn’t have it. There had already been trouble and the sort of that the hot headed teen really didn’t need to know about. Mostly not to add more fuel to that fire. And boy, did he have fire._  
_Which is exactly what got him into that predicament._

_“Get a grip.” Admittedly, he could have been a little less aggressive. “At this point, I really can’t deal with you and your bratty behaviour.”_

In his defense, that seemed to do the trick and get right through that thick head of his.  
Though, he should have seen it coming. It was a mistake to write it off as a whim of a maybe confused, maybe experimenting adolescent. Somehow, he had always known. Just refused to believe it until it came right back to hit him in the face. Because there is only one reason why someone like him would listen for once.

Now, the brat was turning 17 and there was no point in beating around the bush.

The evening was quiet and he had been buried in papers. The knock on the door had been expected. Why he had been on pins and needles the whole week was yet to be explained, but he had other things to take care of.

“Listen,” he begun, a nagging feeling already picking at his nerves, which was ridiculous – he never got nervous, “you’re young, you have your whole life ahead of you-"

He then stopped the utter bullshit, which was true but still bullshit in his book, upon taking a better look at the teen he’d been exasperated with more times than he could count.  
A heavy sigh replaced all the words he planned to speak, serve cold and then get back to whatever the hell he had been doing before this.

“…finish school and then we'll talk.” He offered instead, ignoring the half a million questions threatening to pop up.

“You saying that just to get rid of me or do you really mean it?” He asked, voice unusually quiet and leveled.

“Like I said, finish school, see something and we’ll talk. I promise.”

Funny what a little distance can do.

He won’t lie, he had hoped that he would find someone else. That had been entirely wishful thinking he didn’t want to happen. A fleeting thought conjured up by the heavy fact that he had an awful lot to finally start thinking about.

_“I can’t believe that, my dear Tsukishima.” The older man says, in that calm voice he always used, unlike his son. J_ _ust his luck to get into this predicament and actually think the man wouldn’t know. Or at least suspect. He felt so stupid. B_ _ecause no matter what he said to him or thought about him, no matter how much they would grate on each other’s nerves, their relationship got deep enough._

_“You were the one to suggest it.”_

_Well, can’t deny that, can he?_

_“I trust you two will come to an agreement.”_

Yes, that is exactly what wanted to hear. Honestly, he could never figure out what that man was thinking. He did know, however, that he really did care for his son. In a way, for Tsukishima as well. He was just that kind of person.

_All in all, Tsukishima only wish was to find an excuse._

_There was none_.


	2. From the beginning

The first time he laid eyes on Kageyama Tobio, the runt was about ten years old. Tsukishima Kei had been seventeen and in the company of his brother who had some business to talk over with the kid's father.

He had been in the back garden, waiting for Akiteru when he noticed the child peeking from the doorstep, quiet but obviously curious. Tsukishima the younger thought nothing of it at the time. The child soon went somewhere, probably bored.

Except, he wasn't.

He came back with a glass of water and a little chocolate bar.

Tsukishima was too stunned to refuse the small gesture of the kid. Not like he hadn't been offered anything when he arrived, it's just that he had this thing somewhat differently imagined.

(He accepted the water and the chocolate, even sharing a bit of the sweet with him.)

 

Of course, Akiteru ended up teasing him a bit about that.

 

Not that it mattered. (Or so he thought.) 

 

_The next time they met, Tsukishima Kei ended up being in charge of him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present a series of short stories. Hope you like them.


	3. How to deal with brats

His brother was a consultant and he was in a similar line of work, so how was it that he ended up a babysitter for a ten year old kid?

He hadn't the first clue about ten year old children born and raised in an environment such as this. His father was a well-known man in many circles, absent but loving and caring, spending time with his son whenever he was able to. Which Tsukishima couldn't say for the rest of the house. The kid was well mannered and quiet when his father wasn't around making Tsukishima's unlikely job as easy as it gets.

Studies in the morning, a bit of snooping around the house later, happy face on whenever Tsukishima was around. Which was around two in the afternoon except for the weekend days when he was stepping through the fancy doors first thing in the morning only to find him already up, fed, dressed and ready for the day, making Tsukishima wonder when exactly did he get up because it's usually half past six when he shuts those fancy doors and marches straight to the kitchen to get some coffee first. Only to discover there's a mug waiting for him.

Tsukishima Kei really doesn't know much about kids, but he's fairy certain ten year old kids weren't supposed to be up at ungodly hours, spending days with people seven and more years older than them without a single child their age around.

Disappearing somewhere the moment they spot papers in their... _caretaker's_?... hands. Tsukishima arrived that particular morning at the usual hour, grabbed the mug and sat down to read that one article he got the newspaper for, noticing only after he read the thing that the runt wasn't anywhere to be seen.

He found the little prince in one of the chairs on the patio overlooking the garden, folding little paper ships.

 

"Do you have any obligations today?" Tsukishima asks the kid.

He looks up, shaking his head in a _no_ gesture.

"Any food allergies?" 

Again, no.

"...can you be ready to leave for the city in ten minutes?"

 

The happy face told him more than he ever thought he'd see as the kid bailed to change.

 

Again, he was at a loss, not sure whether he should bring this up to his brother who would definitely say something to his employer. Certain circumstances didn't allow certain things but Tsukishima Kei would see to it the kid gets some sun.

 

...

 

When he got that brilliant idea, he didn't think the kid would be the one with a plan. Also, Tsukishima should probably google ten year old runts. They're not six year old. There's a distinctive difference.

And after witnessing how much interest he really had in volleyball upon seeing a poster of a team on a billboard near the train station and how that particular theme revealed the true extent of his vocabulary and the fact that _whoa, he can speak_ , the seventeen year old unlikely runt-sitter decided to convey something about the situation to his brother, after all.

 

_"Kid, there's really no need for you to be so damn quiet around your own home all the time." The words of wisdom spoken by the teenager as the kid took a pause from explaining exactly where that team made a mistake in the last game, in favour of drinking a glass of water._

 

Yes, his father was a bigshot. Yes, he was busy. Yes, he still cared for his son and bla bla but the cold hard truth was that he didn't really know his own kid because the same kid avoided being a demanding spoiled brat he should have been so not to worry his father, or to cause trouble.

 

_Which all changed when Tsukishima Kei brought a volleyball into the house next Saturday._

 

He didn't know the pater familias was there. He didn't know Kageyama Tobio would actually take his advice from last week.

 

All he knows he wasn't able to utter a word or move a muscle or do anything, for that matter, when the same ball went flying and crashed into a shelf, knocking down and breaking something very expensive looking and very breakable and the kid looked very pleased with himself as he looked at his equally confused father with big eyes, happy smile, waiting for something.

 

"Son," the man began in that soft and gentle voice he was known for but even more pleasant to listen to when he spoke with his son, "who inspired this?" 

To Tsukishima's utter horror, Kageyama Tobio grinned before informing his father that

"Tsukishima!"

inspired that, before he turned and left the room, obviously happy with the whole thing.

 

Tsukishima didn't dare breathe for a second there.

 

The man then turned to the teen, for what was the longest ten seconds of Tsukishima Kei's life, before offering the same goofy grin his son displayed not thirty seconds ago.

 

"You have my gratitude, Tsukishima-kun." The man says. "I was getting a bit worried about him for being so quiet all the time lately."

"Keep up the good work." He adds as he gets up, leaving Tsukishima behind, making several calls along the way as he picks up the ball and heads out.

 

_...the heck just happened?_


	4. Brat with a talent

Ever since that little incident in the living room and successfully scaring the shit out of Tsukishima, Kageyama Tobio got a new past time.

 

Namely, volleyball.

 

Now, Tsukishima had the honour of getting the kid to volleyball practice. Again, he had no idea how he got stuck with this predicament the first time around, but it certainly was a nice change to see the runt happy about something - other than Tsukishima, that is. He couldn't care less, to be honest, but it did ease his mind a bit. It wasn't healthy for him to be all alone in that house day in, day out.

Tsukishima maybe saw three to four games in his life, concerning this particular sport - the times related to the games Akiteru played for his college team. He knew the basics, if one would ask, but even he could see after a few practice sessions the brat had a knack for the game. Even got a long fine with his new team mates, despite being almost locked up in that fancy bird cage of a house.

He lived in a spacious manor that Tsukishima found vast, he could only imagine how big and empty it was for the kid when his father wasn't around. The household stuck to their jobs and restrictions like a drunkard to the floor. They weren't even cold or unpleasant to the kid - just distant. He couldn't say he didn't understand - Tobio's father wasn't a man one would like to get on the bad side with. Then again, the kid wasn't as mean as some children (most of them, actually) of his status could be.

...he supposes there must be some reasons lurking behind his current runt-sitting in there, too.

The last whistle of the day cut the air with its shrilling sound as Tsukishima was a little lost in some thoughts.

Tobio was quick to say goodbye to his group, leaving a very sour looking but not really kid with a funny haircut and what seemed to be the grumpy kid's friend. From what he could observe, the later didn't really care but the first seemed like he did but was too proud to show. It was amusing, really.

"You're quite the little King, aren't you?" Tsukishima asks, amused, as Tobio grabs his stuff and the ball Tsukishima gave him.

"What? No, I'm not." The child says, the strap of his bag falling off his shoulder, causing him to turn a few times around himself before he caught it.

"I'm afraid I have to disagree." Tsukishima says, ruffling his hair as he finally reaches the man.

"Don't be silly, I'm not even on a position yet!" Tobio argues, as he accepts a pack of milk provided by Tsukishima.

"Oh? And what positions are there?" He remembers that much, of course, but why not indulge the brat a bit?

"The libero, the ace, the blockers," the child starts listing, "the setter... I want to play that one!"

"The setter, huh?" Tsukishima muses as he opens the door of the back seat of the car. "And you say you aren't a king..."

"A setter is not a king?" Ah, there it is, the sliver of doubt. He might have a vast knowledge about things, but he was still a little kid.

"No, you're right, a setter is not a king." Tsukishima says as he sits at the front, seat-belt on, mirrors checked, starting the engine. "You're still charming people, though."

"Doesn't a king sit on a throne and rules?"

"Yes, amongst other things. But that is not all that he does."

"A good king is also liked by people, but knows what is best, even if he might not be liked for it at that moment."

"..."

"What is it?" Tsukishima asks as Tobio falls silent for a bit.

"...there's this one kid I don't get."

"Oh?"

"Kindaichi corrects me at times and then acts as if he doesn't know about anything when I say thank you... I feel like he doesn't believe me when I say I'm not making fun of him..."

_Ah, yes... Tsukishima became fairly acquainted with that little issue._

"Sometimes, no matter how much you want to get along with people, it might not work right away. Give him time to get to know you and let him judge that for himself." Tsukishima offers a bit of advice, maybe even planning a backup plan... _or two, just in case._

Still, to deduce all that in his age...

 

The runt had an interesting variety of talents.

Not just anyone could see all that at his age. Maybe it had something to do with the people he had to deal with here or there, but somehow, Tsukishima can't say it was solely that.

 

_Now to make sure he hones those skills in the right way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda fond of this little story I cooked up at like two am that one time and decided what the heck, let's fly with it.


	5. To brat or not to brat?

"Tsukishima-kun." The head of the house speaks.

Tsukishima lifts his head, awaiting the continuation of that thought. The man remains silent for a while more, weighing something in his mind.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to look after Tobio while I'm gone." He says in the end, closing a book on the top of his desk before he gets up.

"While you're gone, sir?" Tsukishima repeats.

"Yes, there is a matter I need to deal with and I can't have my son get in the middle of it, for his sake. I will explain everything to him at a later point."

"I understand."

"I do apologise in advance, this situation may affect your relations as well."

"Nothing I can't handle, sir."

The man smiles gently, dismissing the younger Tsukishima. He leaves shortly, leaving the man to his thoughts.

 

He's really reluctant to do this, but he has little other choice. Tobio deserves more of his trust, but this situation won't allow that luxury as of yet.

 

The following day, he breaks the news to his son.

And it's not the fact that he has to ditch his team and move schools, not the fact that the new school is basically a boarding school, away from everything he came to hold dear, not the fact that his father has to travel away for some troublesome business - yet again - but the fact that, at the age of fifteen, his father can't find it in himself to trust him a bit more than this.

Tsukishima is present in the room, standing by the door.

He can see, he can pinpoint the exact moment he shut himself in, too proud and polite, too mindful of his father to throw a tantrum he was supposed to have thrown.

 _No_ , he thinks, closing his eyes briefly, _his defiance will manifest in another way._

 

Tobio's quiet when he listens to his father that day, he's quiet throughout the evening and he's quiet the following day, as he signs the forms he's required.

 

He's silent as he breaks the news to his team, silent as they throw a fit, toss in a few unnecessary words in the mix, silent upon leaving the gym.

 

He's silent all the way to his new school and he's silent when he slams the doors in Tsukishima's face upon arrival.

 

_Tsukishima Kei didn't think a closed door could be so heavy to look at, not the silence to bear._

 

_But it was._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse my tardiness with certain stories, I am in a predicament right now and I hope it settles soon. But worry not! I shall continue to update whenever I can! Thank you all for your patience and support, my precious readers!! :D


	6. Defiance to the bratty end

Having to look after someone is not that easy of a task when the one you're supposed to look after is nowhere to be found, even in a school that specialises to keep it's students in a set perimeter.

Tsukishima Kei learned that the harder way.

He wouldn't reply to any sort of communication attempts - not from him anyways. Whether he was like that to his father, Tsukishima has no insight in that one. It's probably true, when he gets that knowing smile whenever he reports that Tobio didn't pick up his phone, read his messages or email. He's safe to assume they're both getting the silent treatment.

Still, Tsukishima can't let him disappear in the crowd like that, not with his early life being like it was.

So, he devises another method to at least know he didn't escape in the dead of one night. (Little chances he did, but he can't really take the silence.)

 

Inside the _supreme poshness_ of his new school and surroundings, Kageyama Tobio made good use of the rule book.

Not that he cared much about following those closely enough to be considered a candidate for a prefect next year three months into the academic year, it's just that it allowed him to be left alone to think. He didn't have to see or to speak to anyone if he didn't want to, provided the school didn't have a reason to call in someone - so he did everything to get that bit of freedom and keep them all out.

He's perfectly aware of how his father thinks and why he does what he does, he's aware Tsukishima can't exactly go against him. He's fine with that.

What he's _not fine with_ is the way they go about it.

The both of them.

Frankly, he'd expect that from his father.

Nothing past what he usually does.

What did disappoint him was Tsukishima.

 

And at first, he was at a loss for what to do or how to handle the given situation.

His pride won't allow him to just speak his mind with the man.

Granted, after everything, he likes to think he's entitled to a bit of what he's doing now.

 

_His new acquaintances, soon to be friends, agree to that._


	7. Pride and Prejudice

When you go about things like Kageyama Tobio decided to do, one gets certain attention.

 

Yamaguchi Tadashi was an example of good attention, being in the top of his own class, getting to meet the new kid in classes reserved for those who excel at certain subjects. Though, the freckled kindhearted teen wasn't all he seemed to be.

He could see in the way Kageyama held himself that he had different motives as to why he was where he was at the end of the semester, choosing to stay in the school rather than going home. He wouldn't pry openly, but let him warm up to him first. Seeing how he came from a family dealing with politics for a few generations, he's what one calls a natural at that.

Kageyama wasn't easily fooled, having gone through quite some situations, but they clicked.

 

_Yamaguchi was a double agent, of sorts._

 

He'd come clean one day, after Kageyama promptly made clear he wasn't to be taken as a fool, regardless of some impressions he might have left.

 

_"If we're to be honest, I didn't approach you because I was told to when the semester started." Yamaguchi says, taking a seat in the empty classroom he knew he'd find Kageyama in that Saturday. "I just recently got asked to keep an eye on you, since you avoid talking to your folks back home."_

_"I have no intentions to start now, either." Kageyama says, merely flipping a page of that volleyball magazine he so likes._

_"I'm not here to tell you what to do." Yamaguchi smiles. "If you will, I would like to be of some assistance to you."_

_That gets Kageyama's attention._

_"Why?"_

_"Oh, let's say you and I aren't so different when it comes to harboring certain feelings."_

 

Over time, Yamaguchi proved to be of his word and Kageyama didn't give any reason not to be trusted either, so they worked.

Like a charm.

 

Sakusa Kiyoomi, on the other hand, was the not so good influence.

 

He wasn't bad per say or an obvious troublemaker, but Kageyama Tobio and Yamaguchi Tadashi had ways to make a name for themselves whilst maintaining their spotless reputations. Naturally, being one of those, Sakusa would eventually find a way to learn more about them. With him being a veteran in playing none the wiser in certain situations, he, too, was soon one of them.

 

_He'd seen them on the hallways during the night, not excluded they were out to save someone's neck from a dare or initiation of sorts, seeing how this school had quite a number of those that could potentially harm people. Not that he cared who gets expelled or their arm broken because they're an idiot, it's the fact that there's something about the grumpy kid and his inability to leave people being idiots alone._

_Which made him wonder._

_"Oh, for heaven's sake." One of the older students said one evening, after they managed to fish out a fine example of a moron out of the stream. "Leave the idiot to drown if he can't say he can't swim in this day and age."_

_"How about no." Kageyama said, a scowl of distaste on his lips._

_Sakusa, lurking in the shadows as a prefect - Gods only know how he got that one of all people - merely observed the whole matter unfold._

 

_"That will be all for this evening." He says, stepping out behind the column, bored as hell, just as the near drowned one came to. "Scatter."_

_They did as they were told, but neither would escape detention lasting at least a month with a notice back home._

 

_"So how is it that we're not even mentioned?" Kageyama asks the second year prefect on the hallway the following morning._

_Sakusa merely blows the leaf falling out of trajectory._

_"Consider it a thank you from the idiot you pulled out of the water."_

 

_He can't exactly tell them he'd let them do his job on occasions, now, can he?_

_Either way, their unspoken collaboration will prove of use later on._

 

_And so it came to be that while Sakusa as a prefect couldn't do some things, Kageyama and Yamaguchi would risk it for him. After a few successful runs, they managed to find a common language. The fact that Sakusa managed to dig up quite the intel on those two is purely coincidental, but it did serve purpose and Sakusa only screwed himself with it for the two managed to get under his skin. One a bit more than the other, but beneficial for all it was._

 

Later, as the semester draws to a close and Kageyama's mood worsens by the hour, those tow can't exactly ignore the situation and Kageyama can't exactly leave them in the dark.

 

A light conversation in the wee hours of the night two days before students had to either go home or confirm their stay, Yamaguchi and Sakusa get all the little details they didn't know, a complete picture falling into place.

Yamaguchi, for all his knowing and position there, was surprised by some details. Sakusa - not so much - he already had everything covered, but wanted to see how the kid stands by it.

 

They both had their suspicions over something, but to confirm it, they didn't have enough solid ground. What they did have was a little evil streak (Yamaguchi) and a whole lot of evil packed tight (Sakusa) and were more than happy to take over for a while.

All in the name of helping a friend out, of course.

 

_(And to have a little fun of their own.)_


	8. They solemnly swear, they're up to no good

Now, if Kageyama had to pick out whom to trust in some matters, he couldn't have picked better even if he wanted to.

 

Both Yamaguchi and Sakusa were experts in driving people up the wall, silently yet very effective.

 

And drive them up the wall, they did.

 

First of all, Yamaguchi, being the ever loyal friend and superb double agent, left bits and pieces of half truths and what actually happened behind those walls all over his weekly reports to his initial "boss", that being Tsukishima Kei asking his brother for help and said brother calling up the Yamaguchi's since he knew their kid attended the same school. Yamaguchi knew the younger Tsukishima from family gatherings, they were in fact, distantly related, and boy oh boy did he enjoy this double agent thing.

 

The first few reports were nothing serious, merely a pissy teen drowning all his anger into books and yadda yadda blah blah you get the picture. But, as their relationship grew deeper, so did the reports he gave Tsukishima become more and more teasing. Double sided. Vague. Could be interpreted more ways than one. Not conclusive.

(Yamaguchi exeled in creative writing class.)

Tsukishima increasingly became more worried, but had no means or reasons to visit the school himself - to do that, he'd have to inform the kid's father and that was not possible at this moment. That, and, the man didn't at all seemed to be all too worried by this sudden rebellion of his son - if Tsukishima didn't know any better, he'd say the man was in fact quite amused by it.

 

As time went on, Yamaguchi got more and more creative, sometimes hanging around the library with Sakusa and passing notes in calss with Kageyama to get their opinion on the latest report, Kageyama refusing to even look at his mobile phone - that being left locked in his desk - and Sakusa knew people how knew people on the latest gossip outside.

What Yamaguchi didn't know, Kageyama didn't care to know and Sakusa ignored, was that something went wrong along the way and upon reading the newest bullshit out of Yamaguchi's printer, Tsukishima lost it.

 

_The day he finally saw the little prince turned troublemaker was the day, blessed day, Sakusa and Yamaguchi confirmed some of their suspicions._

 

_Even if Tsukishima was pissed as hell and Kageyama as chill as a mid-winter breeze upon visual contact._

 

_(Sakusa was proud.)_

**Author's Note:**

> A series of short chapter stories.
> 
> Will probably update in bundles.


End file.
